The Nebraska women’s gymnastics team concluded its 2024 campaign with a third-place finish in Session 1 of the second round of the NCAA Championships.
The Huskers enjoyed numerous team accomplishments, including ending the regular season by notching three-straight scores of 197.000+ for the first time since 2003 – 197.125 against North Carolina, Southeast Missouri State and Illinois State, 197.150 at the Ameritas Masters Classic and 197.375 at Arkansas. The score against Arkansas is the 10th-highest away score in program history.
NU earned 36 total individual event titles and 23 career highs over the course of the season. The Big Red posted its highest debut score since 2014 with a 196.125 at Iowa State and its highest home debut score since 2012 with a 196.875 against Illinois. The team’s floor score of 49.450 at the Ameritas Master’s Classic ranks third all-time for the meet.
Emma Spence earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors, while Kinsey Davis and Sophia McClelland were both dubbed Second-Team All-Big Ten members.
Outside of the gym, 14 gymnasts notched Academic All-Big Ten honors and 20 were named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll.
2024 Individual Titles
Csenge Bácskay
- Floor - 9.950 - at Illinois, 1/20/24
- Vault - 9.875 - at Iowa, 2/4/24
- All-Around - 39.325 - vs. Penn State, 2/17/24
- Beam - 9.900 - at Arkansas, 3/15/24
Martina Comin
- Vault - 9.900 - at Maryland, 2/10/24
- Vault - 9.850 - vs. UNC/SEMO/ISU, 3/3/24
- Floor - 9.925 - vs. UNC/SEMO/ISU, 3/3/24
Kinsey Davis
- Bars - 9.875 - at Iowa State, 1/5/24
- Bars - 9.975 - at Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, 1/12/24
- Bars - 9.975 - at Maryland, 2/10/24
Allie Gard
- Beam - 9.875 - vs. UNC/SEMO/ISU, 3/3/24
Ayzhia Hall
- Vault - 9.850 - vs. Penn State, 2/17/24
- Beam - 9.875 - vs. UNC/SEMO/ISU, 3/3/24
Sophia McClelland
- Beam - 9.900 - at Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, 1/12/24
- Beam - 9.950 - vs. Illinois, 1/20/24
- Beam - 9.900 - at Iowa, 2/4/24
- All-Around - 39.250 - at Iowa, 2/4/24
- Beam - 9.875 - at Maryland, 2/10/24
- Floor - 9.925 - vs. Penn State, 2/17/24
- Floor - 9.925 - vs. UNC/SEMO/ISU, 3/3/24
- Beam - 9.900 - at Arkansas, 3/15/24
Isabel Sikon
- Vault - 9.850 - vs. Penn State, 2/17/24
- Beam - 9.875 - vs. UNC/SEMO/ISU, 3/3/24
Emma Spence
- Bars - 9.875 - at Iowa State, 1/5/24
- Floor - 9.900 - at Iowa State, 1/5/24
- Vault - 9.950 - vs. Illinois, 1/20/24
- Bars - 9.925 - vs. Illinois, 1/20/24
- All-Around - 39.475 - vs. Illinois, 1/20/24
- Bars - 9.900 - at Iowa, 2/4/24
- All-Around - 39.350 - at Maryland, 2/10/24
- All-Around - 39.325 - vs. Penn State, 2/17/24
- Bars - 9.925 - vs. UNC/SEMO/ISU, 3/3/24
- All-Around - 39.475 - vs. UNC/SEMO/ISU, 3/3/24
- Floor - 9.950 - Ameritas Masters Classic, 3/9/24
- Beam - 9.900 - at Arkansas, 3/15/24
- All-Around - 39.650 - at Arkansas, 3/15/24
Huskers Make Mark in International Competition
The Big Red also had success before and after the 2024 season, as Csenge Bácskay and Emma Spence represented their respective countries at international competitions. Bácskay competed at the 2023 Artistic World Gymnastics Championships and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics after making the vault event finals. The Budapest, Hungary, native will compete in the 2024 World Cup before making her Olympic debut later this summer.
Spence competed at the 2023 Gymnova Cup and claimed the floor title, along with placing second in the all-around. She took part in the 2024 City of Jesolo Trophy, and will compete in the Canadian Championships in June and is vying for a spot on Canada’s Olympic team. She will also take part in the Pan Am Games during the summer of 2024.
Three Huskers Earn All-Big Ten Honors
Emma Spence, Sophia McClelland and Kinsey Davis were given All-Big Ten honors.
Spence was named a member of the All-Big Ten First Team, while McClelland and Davis were named to the All-Big Ten Second Team.
This marked Davis’ third all-conference honor, as she was tabbed a First-Team All-Big Ten member in 2022 and a Second-Team All-Big Ten member in 2023. Spence and McClelland both notched their second honor. Spence earned First-Team All-Conference honors and McClelland garnered Second-Team All-Conference honors in 2023.
Spence, a Canada native, earned career highs on vault (9.925), floor (9.950) and in the all-around (39.650), along with posting season highs of 9.900 or above in every event. She was named a Big Ten Co-Gymnast of the Week on March 19 for her standout performance against Arkansas, where she tied career highs on floor and in the all-around. The junior earned 13 event titles this season – one on vault, four on bars, one on beam, two on floor and five in the all-around.
McClelland, a senior from Camarillo, Calif., was a mainstay in the Huskers’ lineup in 2024, competing in every meet but one and claiming eight event titles along the way – five on beam, two on floor and one in the all-around. She earned career highs of 9.950 on beam and 9.925 on floor.
Davis was named a Big Ten Co-Event Specialist of the Week twice during the season, both times after earning a career-high 9.975 on bars. The senior from Huntersville, N.C., grabbed three event titles on bars this season and competed in the event in every meet this season, along with competing on vault in 10 meets.
Spence, McClelland, Csenge Bácskay and Martina Comin were named to the Big Ten Conference Championship Team, as they tied for or outright won first place in their respective events in the first session of the conference championships. Clara Colombo earned the 2024 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Huskers Excel Academically
Fourteen Huskers earned Academic All-Big Ten honors – Katelyn Barth, Clara Colombo, Martina Comin, Kinsey Davis, Emalee Frost, Allie Gard, Genesis Gibson, Lauren Homecillo, Katie Kuenemann, Sophia McClelland, Halle Rourke, Emma Simpton, Emma Spence and Annie Worley.
To make the Academic All-Big Ten Team, athletes must be on a varsity team, be enrolled full time at their institution, and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
Academic Medallions
Fourteen gymnasts claimed Nebraska Academic Medallions for their accomplishments in the classroom. Katelyn Barth, Martina Comin, Kinsey Davis, Emalee Frost, Allie Gard, Lauren Homecillo and Emma Spence all earned highest honors and a Nebraska Gold Academic Medallion.
Clara Colombo, Genesis Gibson and Halle Rourke were all given Nebraska Silver Academic Medallion, while Ayzhia Hall, Katie Kuenemann, Sophia McClelland and Emma Simpton earned Nebraska Bronze Academic Medallions.
Colombo, Kuenemann Honored With Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award
Clara Colombo and Katie Kuenemann were named Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award honorees at the Huskers’ annual Night at the Lied. The Sam Foltz 27 HERO Leadership Award, named in honor of late Husker punter Sam Foltz, awards student-athlete leaders from each varsity sport. The criteria for the HERO Award include exceptional leadership, consistent and dedicated community service, and positive influence on the team. Nominees are identified by the Life Skills staff with approval from the Academic staff and Head Coaches.
Nineteen Huskers Named to Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll
Nineteen Huskers were named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll for the Spring 2024 semester.
Csenge Bácskay, Katelyn Barth, Olivia Burns, Clara Colombo, Martina Comin, Kinsey Davis, Emalee Frost, Allie Gard, Genesis Gibson, Ayzhia Hall, Lauren Homecillo, Whitney Jencks, Katie Kuenemann, Sophia McClelland, Halle Rourke, Isabel Sikon, Emma Spence, Lucy Stanhope and Annie Worley all earned the honor.
Entire Team Chosen for Tom Osborne Citizenship Team
For the second-straight year, everyone on the Nebraska women’s gymnastics team was named a member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.
The annual Tom Osborne Citizenship Team pays tribute to legendary Nebraska Head Football Coach and Athletic Director, Tom Osborne. Under Osborne, Nebraska was among the first institutions nationwide to implement a comprehensive Life Skills program. To be named to the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team, student-athletes must complete a minimum of six new service projects, and/or mentoring activities in the academic calendar year, while being in both good academic and athletic standing.